Stroke Travel Insurance

Having travel insurance is really important after you’ve had a stroke. It helps to give you protection while you’re on holiday in case the worst happens.

As well as covering you for holiday essentials, such as delayed flights and lost baggage, having a proper travel insurance policy in place means that you’ll be covered for medical emergencies.

Medical bills in many countries can be expensive, which may put a strain on your life savings, on top of health concerns without the right cover.

Not all insurers will cover for pre-existing medical conditions - including having had a stroke. But we believe that insurance is worth doing right. To us, that means helping you to get the right level of cover by considering all medical conditions.

Buying your travel insurance with us is straightforward and simple.

To help us provide your cover, your GP, if asked, must say it's okay for you to travel, and you will need to complete a medical screening. You can complete the medical screening online, or over the phone if you’d prefer with the help of one of our friendly team.

Of course, everyone’s medical circumstances differ. But the types of questions you can expect to be asked about strokes include:

• How many strokes have you had in total?
• How long ago was your last stroke?
• Are you awaiting surgery for this condition and/or for any scans to be performed?
• Have you had any transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), also known as mini-strokes, since your last stroke?
• Do you have an irregular heartbeat/arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation?
• Are you on medication to thin the blood excluding aspirin?

One of the most important things for us, is to make sure you’re safe and fit to travel.

If your doctor has said that it’s unsafe for you to travel, then we wouldn’t be able to cover you. At least not yet.

Once your doctor gives you the all clear on your planned holiday dates, then we can cover you with travel insurance for your stroke.

After having had a stroke, it’s best to avoid flying for the first two weeks. After this, while you shouldn’t be at risk when flying, it’s always best to check with your doctor beforehand. We can’t cover you with travel insurance without the all-clear from your doctor that you’re fit to travel.

On a long-haul flight, you’re likely to be inactive for a long period of time which will slow your blood flow and make it more likely to clot. Slow blood flow may cause DVT, which you can reduce the risk of by doing exercises such as flexing your ankles or taking walking breaks during your flight.

It may be beneficial to contact your airline prior to your trip to let them know of your medical circumstances, and book an aisle seat on the plane for you to take walking breaks.

If you’ve bought an insurance policy with us and have declared all your pre-existing medical conditions, then you're covered for any medical emergency abroad.

We’ll start by helping you to get the best possible care. You can call our medical emergency number 24 hours a day and we can help to direct you to the best place to seek help. We can even act as a translator between you and the medical team.

If you need to be transported safely via air ambulance to a more equipped facility that can get you better quicker, then we’ll do that too.

Being covered by us also means that you'll be covered for new flights home and accommodation should you have a stroke or other emergency while abroad.

Plus, if you need to cut your holiday short due to a stroke, we'll meet the costs up to the value detailed in your policy.

We will also pay for your travelling companion or partner to fly home with you, as well as providing a trusted person to accompany any children home if they need it.